Bizman molests 21-yr-old on flight from Rwanda, arrested

A 33-year-old businessman was arrested by Sahar police on Saturday for allegedly molesting a 21-year-old woman on an international flight to Mumbai.

A 33-year-old businessman was arrested by Sahar police on Saturday for allegedly molesting a 21-year-old woman on an international flight to Mumbai.

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According to the police, the arrested accused, identified as Ankitkumar Patel, is a resident of Gujarat. The 21-year-old complainant is a student and resident of Gujarat as well.

Both were seated next to each other on a 12-hour flight from Rwanda in Central Africa to Mumbai, early on Saturday.

The complainant alleged that she was asleep when she felt Patel inappropriately touching her. She woke up and raised an alarm.

“Soon after the incident, the complainant raised an alarm and informed an air-hostess in the vicinity. The complainant was then given another seat away from the accused. The air-hostess, in turn, informed the flight captain,” said Shashikant Mane, senior inspector of Sahar police station.

After the flight landed in Mumbai, airport authorities briefed the Sahar police about the incident.

The complainant and accused were taken to the police station where a first information report (FIR) was registered under section 354 (criminal force or assault on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Patel was arrested and produced before a magistrate court on Sunday.